I really don't like the traditional method of numbering the star points, and then listing the numbers used during handicap (e.g. Section 4 of AGA Rules). You sort of have to remember "handicap 5, don't use 5" and "handicap 7 don't use 7".
Here is one way of labeling that reduces the mental burden The boards I print have this pattern and it's really simple to use.

Two rules:
Handicap stones on star points up to and including the handicap number.
Use center when needed (so you don't have to remember specifically 5 and 7).

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$c Labeling the star points. Ignore the color of the stones.
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . 4 . . . . . 8 . . . . . 2 . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . 6 . . . . . 9 . . . . . 6 . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . 2 . . . . . 8 . . . . . 3 . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

[* dons flame-retardant suit *]

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Founder, Central Mississippi Go Club
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This is kind of clever. But is having this diagram, and the rules for interpreting the diagram, committed to memory really easy easier than remembering where the handicap stones go on the first place?

Good point. No it is not easier to remember as is. I print these on 9x9 and 13x13 beginner boards to help new people memorize the patterns. The rules are very easily conveyed verbally. The hope being that they learn the pattern and graduate from needing any labels.

_________________
Founder, Central Mississippi Go Club
Free tips and resources for clubs and teaching
Go Kit Club Pack - pack of 13x13 go sets for clubs
Go Tin - very portable go

I wouldn't use up to 9 stones in 9x9 and 13x13 games. If you start printing things out you could as well print out the setups on different pages for reference or you could say that handicap placement is similar to the numbers on domino stones / dice numbers with the exception of three stone handicap or you could just demonstrate it once (everybody will remember, it's not that hard).

I never had any difficulty "remembering" the placement of handicap stones. I think that the only thing to remember is that up to four stones always use corners. Other than that, just place the stones as symmetrically as you can.

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I've only ever forgotten the placement of the 3-stone pattern, but then I just thought, "white gets to be rude in a handicap game" and never had a problem with it from then on.

3 stones with tengen would be terrifying to play as white. I remember how shadonra would always rather play me on 6 stones than 5 just to get rid of that tengen stone.

Guo Juan said in a lecture I listened to once, that they used to play 3 stone handicap go with tengen just to teach people how to use the tengen stone.

The problem with this chart is that it's not intuitive. I suspect the one it's replacing isn't either but I'm not familiar with that diagram and can't speak to that. I think just printing eight tiny diagrams showing the 2-9 setups would be a better solution. It's immediately understandable, you don't have to "put your head into" the diagram. You could easily fit those eight tiny diagrams into the same space as this big one. It will only take slightly longer for someone to memorize those than it will for them to figure out this one.